Philly woman sentenced to 20-40 years in prison for violent Chester home invasion

Media, PA – Today Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun M. Copeland announced that Erinn Howarth, 27 of the 5000 block of Keyser Street in Philadelphia, was sentenced to 20-40 years in state prison for a violent home invasion and assault that occurred on August 23, 2016, during which a 79-year-old man was tied up and his 49-year-old daughter was brutally beaten.

Erinn Howarth was found guilty of burglary, robbery, aggravated assault, conspiracy, and possession of a firearm without a license following a jury trial before Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge Anthony Scanlon that concluded on April 26, 2018. The investigation was led by Chester Police Detective Lawrence Weigand, III, and Criminal Investigation Division Detective Anthony Ruggieri and prosecuted by Delaware County Assistant District Attorney Gina Gorbey.

On August 23, 2016, the Chester Police Department responded to the 700 block of E. 25th Street in Chester where they found a 79-year-old male sitting against a wall outside of the residence. Inside the house, police found his 49-year-old daughter, who was semi-conscious and lying in a pool of her own blood. Her face was swollen and her eyes were bruised and swollen shut. According to the male victim, at approximately 5:00 pm, he was brushing his teeth when he felt a gun being pressed against his head. When the victim looked in the mirror, he saw a man in the reflection, who told the victim not to move. The male suspect then repeatedly began to ask for the combination to the victim’s safe. After the victim told the male suspect that he did not have the combination, the male suspect then tied the victim’s hands and feet with cords. A second suspect, later identified as Erinn Howarth, repeatedly told the male victim to look away.

The male victim remained tied up in the room until approximately 7:00 pm, when, after he believed the suspects had left, he untied himself. When the male victim walked down the hallway, he discovered his daughter on the floor, with her hands and feet tied with electrical cords after she had been beaten by Erinn Howarth. While the male victim was attempting to untie his daughter, Howarth entered the room holding a handgun. The male suspect again then tied up the male victim while Howarth gathered the victim’s prescription medications. Howarth and the male suspect then fled the residence. Eventually, the male victim untied himself, went outside, and flagged down a neighbor who called 911. Through the course of the investigation, detectives identified one of the suspects as Erinn Howarth.

“This was a brutal, calculated attack on two innocent individuals, in which the defendants violated the inner sanctity of the victims’ home, demonstrating a horrific disregard for the value of human life,” said District Attorney Katayoun M. Copeland. “The victims endured unimaginable suffering, and while we are satisfied with the sentence of 20-40 years, no amount of prison time can undo the trauma this violent attack inflicted upon the victims and their family. I would like to commend Assistant District Attorney Gina Gorbey for bringing this case to justice, and Chester Police Detective Lawrence Weigand, III, and Detective Anthony Ruggieri and Sergeant William Gordon of our Criminal Investigation Division for their relentless work which led to the swift apprehension of these two dangerous individuals who terrorized the victims,” said District Attorney Katayoun M. Copeland.

OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYDELAWARE COUNTY COURTHOUSEMEDIA, PENNSYLVANIA 19063————————————610-891-4161